The Affordable Care Act (ACA)

With the implementation of any new program there are bound to be unforeseen errors that causes the plan to be seen as failing when in reality it is just working through some issues. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is going through that process right now. A simple example to point to is the website that was built for the new healthcare system crashing when it was launched. The ACA is also exposing flaws in how healthcare is funded and also projected. With an estimated 32 million people gaining access to healthcare sharing of patient information is going to be vital, new technology will have to emerge to help with the surge of patient information. Along with the expansion of access to healthcare it is exposing the lack of qualified

As you know my situation is messy here in Texas. As a single, young male I do not qualify for Medicaid and with the ACA expansion more people are qualifying for Medicaid depending on their state. Sadly, that is not the case for me. I live in the state of Texas which is one of nearly 20 states yet to expand its Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and is home to the largest number of uninsured Americans of any state in the country. I do not meet the Medicaid requirements in Texas, available only to people with disabilities who have incomes below 75 percent of the federal poverty level; pregnant women with incomes less than 200 percent of poverty; and parents with incomes less than 19 percent of poverty. I will continue to be uninsured and as a freelance construction worker I should have coverage in case of a mishap at work. Therefore, I strongly support the idea of adding a public option to the U.S healthcare system for individuals like myself that do not qualify for Medicaid and do not have the financial means to buy health insurance on the private market.

Understanding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can be problematic, the goal of the ACA is to address the fact that millions of Americans do not have health insurance, yet they are contributors to the health care market, consuming health care services for which they do not pay. While this may seem to be a great idea, many Americans are not really sure how they are affected by this Health Care Reform. The goal is to make health insurance affordable, secure, and reliable for all. The ACA is a minimum coverage provision, individuals are given health insurance by amending the tax code. There is an individual mandate which stipulates all non-exempt individuals must maintain a minimum level of insurance or pay a tax penalty. ACA extends Medicaid, states have to accept or they will not receive Federal funding. The act also includes an employer mandate to obtain health coverage for employees. The Affordable Care Act has changed the way health care is provided and the way individuals will participate (The Affordable Care Act Cases. (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2015)

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was created by President Obama back in March 2010 to help reduce healthcare costs and improve healthcare quality for uninsured Americans. The ACA was implemented to reduce the cost that was growing with Medicare and Medicaid because they have increased over the years threatening the entire federal budget (Amadeo, 2017). People who are not working and are unable to cover their healthcare expenses usually end up on Medicaid which is paid for by the government. The others who are over the age of 65 are on Medicare and have their premiums supported by the federal government. However, people who make too much money or who are too young to qualify for either

Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) signed into law in March 2010, a few things have changed in the provision of physical therapy services, in specific productivity standards and reimbursement in outpatient physical therapy clinics. The Affordable Care Act has resulted in an increased demand for physical therapy services primarily due to the construction of the Health Insurance Marketplace. This created new health insurance options to help Americans acquire health insurance, who previously were not able to afford it. Although the ACA is a very extensive and complex piece of legislation, it has ultimately resulted in more individuals who are eligible for physical therapy services. This increased demand not only comes from the ACA but also from reimbursement cuts from insurance companies, subsequently causing physical therapists to overload their schedules as a means to offset these cuts. These demands are without factoring in the aging baby boomer population, which is expected to increased the physical therapist need by 30% from 2008 to 2018 (cite). Physical therapy is about providing the best patient care, however patient care is also a business and businesses are centered on revenue. Below are some of the current proposed solutions along with personal solutions and insight on the productivity issue.

The Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) is commonly referred to as Obamacare. This pseudo name or nickname initially assigned to the program as a criticism of now former President Obama's efforts to stabilize healthcare at a national level, but it has since become the most widely accepted for the ACA. There are many cited reasons for opposition to the program, including the concern it presents the US government with an unnecessary control of public healthcare benefits.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) legislated in 2010, has changed the United States health care industry. In addition to universal healthcare, one of the principles of the ACA is the ideal of accountable care. Specifically, adopting an Accountable Care organization (ACO) for Medicare beneficiaries under the fee for service program. An ACO seeks to hold providers and health organizations accountable for not only the quality of health care they provide to a population, but also keeping the cost of care down (1). This is accomplished by offering financial incentives to the healthcare providers that cooperate in, circumventing avoidable tests and procedures. The ACO model, seeks to remove present obstacles to refining the value of care, including a payment system that rewards the volume and intensity of provided services instead of quality and cost performance and commonly held assumptions that more medical care is equivalent to higher quality care (2) .A successful ACO model, will have developed quality clinical work and continual improvement while effectively managing costs, however this is contingent upon its ability to encourage hospitals, physicians, post-acute care facilities, and other providers involved to form connections that aid in coordination of care delivery throughout different settings and groups, and evaluate data on costs and outcomes(3). This establishes the ACO will need to have organizational aptitude to institute an administrative body to manage patient care,

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) introduced the transformation of the United States healthcare system. The purpose of the ACA was to improve access to health care services for all Americans through insurance system reform. The objective was to deliver medical coverage to low income individuals through Medicaid however, the poorest uninsured consumers were not integrated in the income recommendations for participation (Carpenter, 2012, p. 27).

In the U.S. “Decreasing the number of uninsured is the number one goal of the Affordable Care Act(ACA), which provides Medicaid coverage to many low-income individuals” (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2015, p.1). Despite the success of the ACA enrollment of millions of people with health insurance, the most at risk and pressing group of our population are our children. This is a group that needs our attention and their health should be the country’s number one priority. This is a vast difference from Canada, where every child has health care coverage for life because of its Universal Health Care. Bodenheimer and Grumbach (2013) noted that over the years, “reformers in the United States argued for the passage of a national health insurance program, government’s guarantee that every person is insured for basic health care”(p.187). But this effort was not only defeated time and time again, but it was constantly shoved under the rug. It was not until a great effort was pushed by President Obama that we started to see some changes in our health care system. Still a lot of work needs to be done, especially for our children. Stronger measures must be implemented to make sure that every child has an opportunity to live a long and healthy life. This is especially geared towards children living in rural areas, “where access to health care is especially low or non-existence” (Rosenblatt & Hart, 2000, p.1).

Abstract: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the most comprehensive reform of the U.S. medical system since Medicare. President Obama’s signature legislation vividly changes the landscape of the group insurance market in the United States. The ACA, which was signed into law on March 23rd, 2010, carries mandates that require Americans to have health insurance (2014 in 214 words, 2013). The ACA increases entitlement insurance and subsidizes private insurance, but reduces reimbursements under Medicare. The ACA is set to raise taxes in various ways, but projecting the financial stability and the health of this fundamental reform has been very difficult to conclusively determine. Projections of the impact of this act was required as part of the legislative process, but the forecasts and projections that were first submitted to the Congressional Budget Office have been rescinded with a current statement from the CBO essentially saying that “the financial impact of the ACA cannot be ascertained” (Conover, 2013).

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was signed into law in 2010. The goal of the ACA is to provide affordable health insurance coverage for all Americans. The ACA was also designed to protect Americans from insurance company schemes that may increase patient costs or restrict care. Millions of Americans have benefitted by receiving insurance coverage through the ACA, especially those who are unemployed or have low-income jobs. Some could not afford insurance because they could not work due to a disability or family obligations. Others could not get health insurance because of pre-existing medical conditions. “More than 45 million Americans are uninsured, and as a result, they experience increased morbidity and mortality”

America faces a choice, keep the health care coverage it has, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or scrap it and come up with something better. While the ACA in its entirety leaves room for improvement could do better, much better. Currently the United States spends more on health care than any other country. According to a Huffington Post article (2013) the U.S. spends about 17.2 percent of their GDP on medical care. Health care per capita is approximately $8,608, second only to Switzerland, which spends $9,121.

Health care reform is referring to the changes in health care policies. This reform is driven by the high cost of health care and the right to health care. Health care is focusing on exploring and applying the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act addresses delivery issues within the current health care system and is working to improve them. Research is important in the Affordable Care Act in order to help individuals make informed health care decisions. Health care reform can affect the nursing practices at the bedside, influence advanced primary care nurses and their bill of service, and move nursing towards a new direction with the new health care system in the United States.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has expanded the choices for different populations, across the nation, to apply for health insurance. Under the ACA, it is a requirement that everyone have health insurance that meets the minimum requirements or they will be charged a fee. For unemployed individuals, often times the price of healthcare is concerning. Without an income people may struggle to come up with the necessary funds to pay for a healthcare plan for either themselves or their family. The ACA offers a healthcare marketplace that allows individuals to check their eligibility for affordable healthcare insurance, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Like every law, the Affordable Care Act passed in March of 2010 has its positives and its negatives. While there are numerous benefits that will come to pass due to the act, there are also several factors preventing many states from fully enacting the new requirements of the law. In fact, many are fighting the new policy. For all of the arguments centering the new health care act, the benefits offered by the ACA far outweigh the negatives. The law looks to expand coverage and care, as well as reduce the overall costs of healthcare services and will benefit millions.